Friday, June 29, 2012

....the really bad news for Mandel is in his own numbers. Josh’s name
recognition went up 8 points since the last poll while his
unfavorability rating went up 9 points. It seems the more people hear
about Josh Mandel, the less they seem to like him....

It is difficult to like an elected official that has spent more time on the road campaigning for his next job than doing the job he was elected to perform.

*** In videos posted by Marc Kovac at Capitalblog, Kovac has captured some notable information coming from Josh Mandel.

Here are a few things said by Josh Mandel, Ohio Treasurer and Republican candidate for Senate, in Kovac's videos:

In video #4, Mandel says he is always "accessible" and doesn't like to have others take care of things. Really? Which individuals in the Treasurer's office have been doing his work while he is flying all over the country and the Bahamas to collect campaign cash????

Josh Mandel used the phrase "silent majority" in video #4, a phrase which hasn't been used since Nixon was President. Is this the best he could do???

––––––––––––––––––––––––––

>>>>> Now that the Affordable Care Act has been declared constitutional by the Supreme Court, women will not lose access to cancer treatments, children can stay on the same insurance coverage that their parents have, among other benefits.

A post at DailyKos, explains why the ACA (Affordable Care Act) is a lifesaver for many families:

Several Sundays ago, I chronicled
my then-22-year-old daughter's adventure in open heart surgery, all
thanks to Obamacare, which allowed her to remain on my insurance. The
bottom line: We were terrified the young adult provision would be
overturned. We were even more terrified that the pre-existing
prohibition clause would be overturned and that the rest of her adult
life would be spent in an unending scramble to obtain health care
coverage.

Today's decision put that to rest.....

Thank you, President Obama!

Starting on July 11th, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Mitch McConnell will work to take your health care benefits away and replace them with NOTHING.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

There has been lots of news this morning! The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act. The Scotusblog and Scotus-cover-it-live has had updates and analysis all morning.

Some right wingers have had their brains exploding and underwear filling up with excrement over the ruling. The Republicans, who've had their party hats ready for SCOTUS to rule the Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional, have had to put away their celebration gear. Boehner is probably crying.

The Republicans want to repeal the Affordable Care Act because they believe that health care is a privilege, and only for the rich. Boehner, Cantor, and others will be introducing legislation to repeal the ACA. The best way to make sure that Boehner, Cantor, and the rest of the Republicans don't get their way is to vote for Democrats and re-elect President Obama.

Now that health care has been settled, will Republicans work on creating jobs? The answer, unfortunately, is no. Boehner and Cantor announced they will start the repeal for the Affordable Care Act on July 11th. Hey, John and Eric, get over it!!!! Americans want jobs and Republicans are once again playing politics and going back over decided legislation. Republicans are a bunch of time wasters!!!

>>>>> Have you heard that right wing tool, Eric Cantor, has a phenomenal Democratic opponent? Check out the webpage for Democrat Wayne Powell.

>>>>> Have you visited the FEC to check out the expenditures for the committee called, Citizens for Josh Mandel (OH S2OH00170(1).csv)? I have. Here are my comments and questions:

1. I was just wondering why there are are notations for "Refund for Excessive Contribution" and "Contribution Refund" on the report? Doesn't Mandel's campaign inform contributors how much can be contributed?

2. Although I haven't had the chance to add up all of the travel expenses, it appears that Josh Mandel has used "travel expenses" for an extraordinary amount of expenditures. Where did he go and what part of the week did he travel? Did he travel during times when he should have been in his Treasurer's office?

3. Can a candidate provide an employee a $5,000"compensation bonus" (on 3/1/2012) as a campaign expenditure?

4. If a candidate has a campaign headquarters that he/she pays rent for, why would they also be paying rent for a house in Marysville, OH?

5. What does it mean when a campaign expenditure report has this "refund of an unacceptable contribution" as a note? What is an "unacceptable contribution" under the law?

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Given Josh Mandel's recent dust up with a Columbus TV reporter, Mandel's absences from the Treasurer's office, his lies about his Democratic support (4 quasi-Democrats), and his refusal to discuss issues, perhaps the public is getting the message that they don't want Josh Mandel in the Senate.

President Obama leads Romney in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, according to Quinnipiac.

If you watch the full interview Mandel did with NBC 4 in Columbus, you'll see Mandel has memorized a script, continues to lie about Sen. Sherrod Brown's voting record, and refuses to talk about his own agenda. When Mandel talks about "WE" in his response, is he referring to himself and the Kochs/JimDemint/anti-women rights groups? Josh Mandel is clearly out of touch and living in La-La land. He just keeps repeating the same lines over, and over again, like a robot controlled by the far right. Do you really want Josh Mandel controlling your reproductive rights? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

•••••••••••••••

>>>> Guess which other Ohio Republican is down in the polls? I'll give you some hints:
1. he dislikes public school teachers.
2. tried to push SB 5/ Issue 2 and take away rights of Ohio workers.
3. gives money to corporations for jobs, then those companies leave Ohio anyway.
4. let a Strickland exotic animal executive order expire, wild animals escaped and killed.
5. was against President Obama's leadership to save the American auto companies and save jobs.

Gov. John Kasich!!!!! PPP Poll has the following numbers for Kasich:Approve = 40% Disapprove = 48%

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

"You've got to give Mitt Romney credit," the vice president said. "He is
a job creator--in Singapore, and China, India. He's been very good at
creating jobs overseas."

Earlier this week, President Obama called Romney "an outsourcing pioneer," as noted in this report from NPR:

"Gov. Romney's commitment to outsourcing is not just part of his
record, it's part of his overall economic vision that he and Republicans
in Congress want to implement if they win this election," Obama said.

The
Obama campaign has seized on reports that the private equity firm
Romney once ran made investments in companies that were described as
"pioneers" in outsourcing jobs to China and India....

While Romney got rich, Americans lost jobs when he was with Bain. Would a "President" Romney allow corporations to receive tax credits for jobs created overseas?

* * * * *

*** I love the title of this video---"Mandel Lies and Insults NBC4 Columbus."YouTube

Josh Mandel has been lying about Sen. Sherrod Brown's voting record. Ohioans feel insulted by Mandel's lack of effort in his job as Ohio Treasurer and his arrogance.

...Mandel, a Tea Party favorite, is not the first Republican Senate
hopeful to lash out at the press, or dodge questions about contentious
competitor exchanges. In 2010, then-Senate candidate for Nevada Sharon
Angle called a local reporter an "idiot" and another word that could not be repeated. In 2006, Tom Kean Jr., a Senate candidate for New Jersey, ran from a press contingent
and into an elevator when questioned about statements made by his
opponent. Angle and Kean both lost to Democrats Harry Reid and Bob
Menendez respectively.

Brown's campaign characterized Mandel's actions as "bizarre" and criticized him for the comment.

"Josh Mandel's bizarre attack on a reporter whose only crime was
questioning another Mandel lie shows he's clearly in denial about a
string of damaging stories from skipping every Board of Deposit meeting
his first year in office to hiring unqualified cronies at the taxpayers'
expense to being shamed into returning 100k in questionable campaign
contributions," Brown campaign spokeswoman Sadie Weiner said in a
statement. "Mandel's refusal to admit he's lying in the face of
irrefutable evidence to the contrary is a stunning example that he's
just another politician who can't be trusted."

Mandel is telling the lies, yet he attacks the reporter???

----------

Why does Ohio throw out hundreds of thousands of provisional ballots??? The Courthouse News Service has information about a lawsuit against Ohio Secretary of State Jon Hust concerning the tossing out of the provisional ballots in recent elections. You can read the article here.

* Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH-D) worked with great effort on the Agriculture billS 3240,that was before the U.S. Senate. It passed yesterday, even though Republican Sen. Rob Portman voted against the bill. Why doesn't Portman support Ohio's farmers?

Sen. Sherrod Brown also was the author of an amendment to help farmers with S. Amdt 2445:

To strengthen rural communities and foster the next generation of farmers and ranchers.

The amendment was agreed to, but Rob Portman voted against this bill as well. What is Portman's problem? Does he dislike farmers?

* Republican candidate for Senate and occasional Ohio Treasurer, Josh Mandel is getting lots of bad press. Of course, he deserves every word of it. Mandel's campaign is based on a smear campaign full of lies, fabrications, and distorted information. Even though Josh Mandel has been caught lying about the record of Sen. Sherrod Brown, Mandel refuses to change his campaign. Is Josh Mandel the Tommy Flanagan of Ohio?

When Mandel ran as the Ohio Treasurer in 2010, voters witnessed a horribly, dirty campaign in which Mandel said his Democratic opponent, Kevin Boyce, was a Muslim (he is not). Check out what Politifact had to say about Mandel's ad in 2010.

Monday, June 25, 2012

There is a discussion going on in the comment section of an article about Josh Mandel's less than honorable campaign. Joe Hallett of the right wing Columbus Dispatch says that Josh Mandel still has time to clean up his act to turn away from his negative campaign. The comments below the article hint that no matter what, the Dispatch will still endorse Josh Mandel because he is a Republican. I retrieved the following information from Newsbank through my local library:

• On November 2, 1986, the Dispatch endorsed Republican Thomas Kindness over incumbent Sen. John Glenn. John Glenn won re-election.

• The next election for U.S. Senate in 1992, the Dispatch (on November 1, 1992) endorsed Mike DeWine. DeWine waged an extremely negative campaign. John Glenn won re-election by over 414,119 (see Ohio Sec. of State).

Will Josh Mandel's extremely dirty campaign still get his endorsement from the Republican-loving Columbus Dispatch? What do you think?

Last Monday, Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel flew to Washington for a series of
fundraisers. The same week, his Democratic opponent, Sen. Sherrod Brown, was helping guide the farm
bill through the Senate....

..But his (Brown's) work on the farm bill clearly has helped him. After he was first elected to the Senate
in 2006, he lobbied for a seat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, the first Ohio senator on that
panel in four decades....

“I’ll just say as far as agriculture goes, Sherrod Brown has been a champion,’’ said Anthony
Bush, a Morrow County farmer and chairman of the Public Policy Action Team for the National Corn
Growers. “I am going to vote for Sherrod Brown this fall. This will be the first time I have ever
voted for a Democratic senator from Ohio.’’

When it comes down to it, Sen. Sherrod Brown has worked to listen to and help Ohio's farmers.

***************

Have you ever heard that claim that Republicans in the House of Representatives have passed 30 jobs bills under Boeher? Karoli at Crooks and Liars break down the lie:

...To make sure they back up their public claims with what might appear
to be "fact", they've built a page on the House of Representatives site
with a list of their so-called jobs bills,
which number 27 and not 30 as the Speaker claims. What follows is a
list and a brief explanation of why they are not jobs bills. Feel free
to share it widely with your friends who might be inclined to believe
Mr. Tobacco Lobbyist Check Distributor without questioning it.

HR 3630 - The Middle Class Tax Relief & Job Creation Act of 2011 - This bill does indeed extend the "docfix" and unemployment insurance for a year, but with a hefty price.

In addition to freezing federal workers' pay for three years, it
requires issuance of a permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline in advance of
the proposed routing by Nebraska, suspends the newly-issued mercury
regulations and extends 100% expensing of business equipment (including
private jets). Another so-called "jobs bill", HR 1938, was passed giving a November 1, 2011 deadline for the Keystone pipeline.

With regard to unemployment insurance benefits, it cuts the 99-week
maximum down to a 59-week maximum by mid-2012, allow states to drug-test
UI recipients, and allow states to reduce state unemployment benefits
and substitute federal funds. It also cuts funding for key provisions of
the Affordable Care Act coming online, and adds the requirement to
welfare payments that EBT cards cannot work in strip clubs, liquor
stores and casinos.

Provisions were included to auction more broadband spectrum and
reclassify the 700mhz D Block as public safety broadband use only, which
would be a huge payoff to Verizon Wireless lobbyists, who won that block with requirements that it remain open, after Google challenged the auction process.

It would force Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to pay increased guarantee
fees similar in scope to those due from large banks as a part of the
Dodd-Frank Act, means-tests unemployment insurance benefits and food
stamp programs and increases Federal employees' contributions to their
retirement system by 1.5% while freezing pay, so their pensions take a
double-whammy.

Finally, it repeals the new timing rules for estimated corporate tax
payments for companies with assets of $1 billion or more so that they
can use payments of estimated taxes as a timing tool for fourth quarter
profit declarations.

None of the provisions outlined above create jobs. They called it a jobs act, but it was really just an act.

HR 1633 - Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011

This bill prevents
the EPA from issuing or finalizing regulations revising air quality
standards under the Clean Air Act, and excepts farm dust from all
references to "particulate matter."

No jobs there, but if anyone has ever suffered from Valley Fever, they might object to exempting dust, particularly farm dust, from the definition of particulate matter.

HR 10 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2011

Guts the regulation process by mandating that every regulation
promulgated by approved by Congress after an onerous submission process,
while exempting any Congressional finding from judicial review. Call
this one the Carte Blanche For Congress To Kill All Regulatory Authority Bill.

What it is not: A jobs bill.

HR 3010 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011

HR 3010 is a
modified, somewhat less onerous version of HR 10, setting guidelines for
whether any regulations are warranted at all even if called for under a
statute. Calling an anti-regulatory statute a jobs bill is a little
like calling a half-built bridge infrastructure. So again, not a jobs
bill.

HR 527 - Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011

Ostensibly, HR 527
would reduce regulatory requirements on small businesses by forcing an
impact study with specific focus on small business before regulation is
adopted. It would limit EPA, OSHA and CFPB regulations while presumably
protecting "small" closely-held Subchapter S corporations like Koch
Industries. Not a jobs bill.

HR 3012 - Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011

HR 3012 would
expand job immigration beyond current limits by eliminating
employment-based immigrant visa caps and raising the percentage of total
visas granted to 15% from 7%. For this one, I'll say it IS a jobs bill,
but not a jobs bill for American workers. It is the "Elite Immigration
Jobs Bill of 2011".

HR 3094 - Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act

HR 3094 redefines collective bargaining units and makes significant changes to election procedures,
including one intended to intimidate employees: an employer-supplied
list of eligible voters with contact information provided by the
employee.

Not a jobs bill. A union-buster bill.

HR 2930 - Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act

HR 2930 exempts startups raising less than $1 million in venture capital from small investors from SEC registraiton and oversight.

Not a jobs bill. An anti-regulatory bill.

HR 2940 - Access to Capital for Job Creators Act

HR 2940 repeals
prohibitions on solicitation or advertising of a securities offering.
It's a companion to HR 2930, and is intended to allow people with no
relationship to a startup company to invest in it without any oversight
by the SEC. Let's call this and its evil twins HR 2930 and HR 1965 the
"Ponzi Scheme Coverup Acts of 2011"

HR 1965 - Securities Laws Amendment

HR 1965 changes
the shareholder threshhold for SEC registration from 500 to 2000
shareholders. It's not a jobs bill. It's a "hide from the SEC" bill. Its
companion, HR 1970, would exempt SEC registration of public offerings under $50 million rather than the current $5 million threshold.

Many More EPA Acts

So many they don't deserve to be broken down individually. HR 2273 removes coal ash regulation from the EPA and hands it to the states. HR 2681 would put a legislative stay on cement manufacturing emission standards. HR 2250 would put a legislative stay on EPA boiler MACT rules. HR 2401 would require analysis of all EPA regulations relating to air, waste, water and climate change. HR 2018
would restrict EPA from issuing any revisions to existing water
standards or issuing a new standard for a pollutant if the state has
already adopted one or there is an existing standard in place. In other
words, ignore any new scientific research after an initial standard has
been set. HR 2021 amends the Clean Air Act to open oil and gas exploration off the Alaska coast. HR 910
strips the EPA of authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the
Clean Air Act, a direct assault on efforts to limit man-made
contributions to climate change. HR 872 expands the use of pesticides, fungicides and rodent without EPA approval.

Many More Oil and Gas Drilling Acts

There is HR 1231,
which would require the Administration to allow offshore oil and gas
drilling and exploration in order to meet set domestic production goals,
effectively forcing the moratorium on offshore drilling to be lifted to
meet goals. HR 1229
requires the Energy Secretary to consider any offshore drilling permits
within 30 days of receiving it and provide application denials in
writing within 60 days of the application. Another "forced moratorium
lift" bill. HR 1230
forces sales of oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico and Outer Continental
Shelf of Virginia. It also lifts requirements for environmental impact
statements and grandfathers in a 2007 document as authority for
environmental impact.

Special Interest Legislation, or Pandering to Corporate Interests

HR 1904 proposes an exchange of land so that Resolution Copper, LLC can mine copper on what is now part of the Tonto National Forest.

These would fall under the anti-labor, anti-environment categories,
but not particularly effective job creators. In fact, in Boeing's case,
the jobs lost would hurt the economy more than jobs created in a
right-to-work state where employers are not obligated to adhere to
industry standards on contracts, safety or other issues.

Thank you, Karoli, for allowing us to share this important information! You can pass this information to those supporting former bank lobbyist, Steve Stivers. Stivers claims that he has participated in these "jobs" bills. Where are the jobs, Republicans? Why have the Republicans refused to pass legislation put forth by President Obama that repairs our bridges/roads/schools and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs?

________

The Other Paper has noticed Josh Mandel's exuberance to go after anonymous campaign donations and his reversals on his views of the past: "....Mandel has already disavowed the principles of his college years when he supported domestic partner benefits and liked Al Gore...."

Just which special interest groups are funding Josh Mandel's campaign? Citizens United has enabled super secret groups to hide behind the curtain and push their own bizarre agendas. How do we know if Josh Mandel has agreed to carry their wishes and agendas into the U.S. Senate? We know that Mandel, if elected, has agreed to champion the Paul Ryan budget which would give vouchers to those on Medicare. What kind of disaster would that create?

If you've had any experience helping a parent work through the maze of Medicare and Medicare Part D, you can only imagine the disaster that vouchers would bring. If your elderly parent had difficulty with medical treatments and pharmacies, you know that looking for an insurance company that would take their voucher could create migraine headaches for everyone involved. How many times have you had to go to bat for your elderly parents because they did not get a reasonable response to their question? If you hate disasters, Paul Ryan's voucher plan is one to avoid.

-------------

* In case you missed it---- According to various reports, toe aficionado and right wing pundit, Dick Morris, has endorsed Josh Mandel. Dick Morris does not live in Ohio. This is another example of someone from out of state trying to influence our elections.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Republican Josh Mandel, Ohio Treasurer and world traveler (U.S. + Bahamas), has been running a dirty, filthy campaign in which he has been smearing Sen. Sherrod Brown. Mandel refuses to answer questions about his views on important issues, but has been a repeat offender at the altar of truth. Here is Mandel's file at Ohio Politifact:

Click on the ruling to see all of Mandel's statements for that ruling.

Many Ohioans have already noticed that Josh Mandel is engaging in dirty politics. With nothing to offer Ohioans, and without his own substantial legislative experience, Mandel has been throwing mud at his opponent.

...Mr. Mandel forgot to mention that while Mr. Brown's former wife
conceded the divorce proceedings included "unfriendly words," she
supports the senator's re-election and sponsored a fund-raiser for him
last week. As far back as 20 years ago, she assailed a political
opponent who tried to use the divorce case as an issue against Mr.
Brown.

The Blade endorsed Mr. Mandel in his successful race for state
treasurer two years ago. But we condemned his sleazy campaign ad that
used Muslim-bashing and irrelevant references to terrorism to discredit
his opponent, incumbent Democrat (and Christian) Kevin Boyce.

It now appears that disgrace was just Mr. Mandel's warm-up act for
this year's smear campaign against Senator Brown -- even as the
challenger routinely refuses to respond to valid questions about real
campaign issues....

When little 90 year old ladies start criticizing Josh Mandel for his ugly campaign, you know that everyone is getting disgusted with his mud-slinging. When women are upset that Mandel is against reproductive freedom and pay equity for women, you become aware that Josh Mandel has made a majority of women in Ohio really very angry. While Josh Mandel panders to right wing moneybags, he has forgotten to address the needs of the middle class, college students, women, and those on Medicare who don't want vouchers.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Tonight at the Wexner estate, Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, will hold a fundraiser. Needless to say, I won't be there. At $10,000/person, Romney will be rubbing elbows with 200 of Ohio's Republicans that can afford to attend. Word has it that Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a former Vice President at Lehman Brothers, will also attend.

>>>> Mitt Romney gave a speech today in Florida to a large group representing the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. It appears that Romney's speech was about as inspiring as white bread. Here is a post from Mother Jones:

.....Overall, Romney's speech was a parade of sidesteps and distortions.
Romney said Obama "failed to address immigration reform" despite having
"huge majorities" that made him "free to pursue any policy he pleased."
In fact the Democrats filibuster-proof majority lasted about 14 weeks,
and Obama's attempts to address immigration reform meet with unanimous
opposition and obstruction from Senate Republicans. Republicans blocked
immigration reform and are now blaming Obama for not addressing it.....

Romney's stupid idea that people should "self-deport" shows that he doesn't really have a clue about how his plan would hurt families. Romney apparently doesn't have a solution to help people solve this because Karl Rove, Grover Norquist, Jim DeMint, Mitch McConnell and others haven't given him his agenda yet. Face it. Romney is just a puppet for the far right.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) went on MSNBC this morning and said that the only reason his reelection campaign
is even close is because of the mountain of outside money that’s been
poured into the state — $8.3 million according to NBC’s Luke Russert.
But is it even close?

The PollTracker average
currently shows an 8.6 point spread in Brown’s favor, with Brown’s
average just shy of 49% and he’s trending up against opponent Josh
Mandel. (See the trend chart here.).....

Ohio citizens know that Sen. Sherrod Brown has been a champion for the middle class, police officers, firefighters, teachers, college students, women, coal miners, and everyone. He doesn't have a particular constituency that he represents. Sherrod Brown works for all Ohioans.

Josh Mandel, the Ohio Treasurer and Republican candidate, has displayed his need to be the center of attention, especially while avoiding work and meeting with his right wing millionaires. Mandel has spent so little time attending meetings and going to his elected office, some citizens even wonder if Mandel should just resign since he seems so uninterested in being the Treasurer. Mandel's lack of enthusiasm for his current elected office, his trips out of state, his tour and photo ops with Ohio's SB 5 supporters, and his reluctance to discuss his agenda with anyone but right wing pundits, shows a candidate unprepared for the real world. Mandel is against reproductive rights for women, supported SB 5 (Issue 2), supported the "heartbeat" bill, opposed paycheck equity, and while in the State Assembly, Josh Mandel voted againstHB 176. According to the bill summary from the Laws, Acts, and Legislation page for HB 176, here is what HB 176 prohibits:

Prohibits discriminatory practices on the basis of "sexual
orientation" and "gender identity and expression" under many of
the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) Law's existing prohibitions against
various unlawful discriminatory practices....

and---

....Adds sexual orientation and gender identity expression to the
list of covered characteristics that are specified in various provisions of
current law that prohibit persons or entities from discriminating on the basis
of most of the covered characteristics...

Josh Mandel apparently believes it is okay to discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation.

There is a candidate or two every election year about whom everyone
in both parties scratches their heads and says "How in the hell did
he/she get the nomination?" Those candidates usually have a list of
liabilities so long that it takes a couple of sheets of paper. Such is
the case of the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Ohio - Josh
Mandel. The only reason he is a contender in November is because of the
Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

In a powerful article in Politico.com,
you can see firsthand the impact of that decision on keeping a totally
disqualified candidate as a contender. In a moment we will list good ole
Josh's problems but here is how he is staying alive. Democratic Senator
Sherrod Brown predicts that American Crossroads and other Super PACS
are spending $500,000 a week in Ohio without any disclosure who is
giving that money! If that spending holds that means that the SuperPACS
could give in Ohio alone up to $10 million outside of what the candidate
raises!...

I have to stop writing about Mandel now because my blood pressure is increasing!!!! Josh Mandel appears unable to do his job as Treasurer and yet wants to become a Senator????

**** When will Republican Rep. Issa stop his political was against Attorney General Holder? Issa should know that when the President invokes "Executive Privilege" that all actions must stop. (* Note: President George W. Bush used Executive Privilege six times.) Does Issa even know the law? The President is trying to protect the Attorney General of the Bush administration and our undercover officers. Shame on Issa for demanding what he cannot have. You can contact Issa HEREor at (202) 225-5074 or FAX (202) 225-3974 and tell him to stop the witch hunt.

....Mandel, the GOP nominee against U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), released 33
of the 34 remaining resumes to state Democrats, saying they have been
"voluntarily presented" to his office. The release followed weeks of
Mandel's office saying it did not have all the resumes for staffers
hired by the Tea Party favorite to fill posts in the treasurer's office. Several of the resumes, according to the Dayton Daily News are for longtime political aides or friends of Mandel...

The delivery of the resumes comes the same day as questions from
Brown's campaign about Mandel's attendance at five events in Washington.
The event schedule for Mandel released by Brown's campaign includes
four fundraisers and a conference call with members of the Republican
Jewish Coalition. Thirty GOP senators helped raise money for the
34-year-old at one of the fundraisers...

Josh Mandel has told so many lies that it will be difficult to believe anything he says.

---------------------

• Mitt Romney and his campaign don't want you or the media to ask questions about their solution to the immigration policy announced by President Obama. Romney has indicated that he opposes President Obama's new policy.

What’s on the mind of a campaign’s message machine may not be the
burning issue in journalists’ minds. When Mitt Romney’s campaign held a
conference call with reporters on Wednesday morning to discuss what it
called President Obama’s “record of failure on the economy,” the first
three questions from reporters were about Mr. Romney’s views on
immigration. Campaign press aides abruptly ended the conversation.....

The other problem might be that Grover Norquist, the Koch Brothers, Mitch McConnell, and the rest of the right wingers, haven't told Mitt Romney what to say on this particular subject on immigration. Romney is the perfect person to be manipulated by Norquist and the rest of the bunch. This is what Norquist wants in a Republican President: (from the Daily Beast)

...Pick a Republican with enough working digits to handle a pen to become
president of the United States. This is a change for Republicans: the
House and Senate doing the work with the president signing bills. His
job is to be captain of the team, to sign the legislation that has
already been prepared....

In other words, Norquist and the Republicans want a non-thinking, puppet, to do as told. No thinking or questioning will be allowed. That sounds like Romney!

Sen. Rob Portman is worth between $7 million and $20 million, making him
one of the wealthiest members of the Ohio congressional delegation,
according to financial disclosure documents filed this week.....

It would be difficult for Romney and Portman to say that they understand what people are going through given their wealth. Romney is clearly out of touch, especially when you consider his remarks like "...corporations are people..." and "....let Detroit go bankrupt..." Romney just doesn't get it about what Americans have experienced in the collapse of Wall Street, banks, and the collapse of the housing market.

Allowing someone in the White House that has made a fortune buying companies, firing longtime employees, taking their pensions, and closing those companies while reaping millions, and millions of dollars, would be wrong. Romney's Bain Capital destroyed families and communities. There is nothing good that comes from destroying people's lives and getting richer in the process. That is avarice.

The AkronBeaconJournal has this to say about Republican candidate, Josh Mandel, Ohio's current, but absent, Treasurer:

...In capturing the state treasurer’s office two years ago, Mandel
unleashed an ugly ad that played to public fears, suggesting his
opponent was a Muslim and linked to terrorists. Mandel has hurled wild
accusations against Brown, many deemed “false” or “pants on fire” by
Politifact. He then asserted he would keep trading in untruths.

The
neglect has extended to his job, failing to attend Board of Deposit
meetings, hiring ill-prepared cronies, departing from his intent to
serve a full term. He even has eschewed the need to take positions on
matters before the Senate. What, voters might deserve to know?...

* Republican candidate, and jet set member, Josh Mandel, has yet to explain what he knows about the FBI investigation of his campaign. The Workers' Voice has a few questions for Ohio's absent Treasurer, Josh Mandel:

1.) What role did the Mandel campaign have in soliciting the contributions that kicked-off the FBI investigation?

2.) When did Josh Mandel know his campaign was being investigated by the FBI?

3.) Why didn't he return the questionable contributions before that investigation was made public?

There are plenty of more questions we'd all like to ask the globe-trotting Republican, but Josh Mandel refuses to answer questions. He always seems to find a back door to avoid questions from the press and concerned citizens.

*** Josh Mandel brags about his time in the Marines. However, Grumpy Abe knows a lot about another Marine that has never bragged about his experiences in war:

....Now, allow me to go back to another Ohio Marine, Col. John Glenn, a Democrat who landed in the Senate.

In the many years that I reported on his political career, I heard not a
word from him about his military life, which included tours as a combat
pilot shooting down MIGs. His record as a flying ace and astronaut
could speak for itself without his embellishment.....

.....Glenn, always the modest hero with a liberal voting record that showed
his deep concern for average folks. So I'll tell you this much: I
knew John Glenn. Josh Mandel is no John Glenn.

>>>>> What? More jobs are coming to Toledo because of President Obama's rescue of the American auto industry????????? The Toledo Blade has the story that predicts over 1,000 more jobs in the auto industry! See the Toledo Blade for details.

How can anyone forget what Mitt Romney said about the American auto industry???

Monday, June 18, 2012

Do right wingers outside of Ohio want Republican Josh Mandel as a Senator, more than the people of Ohio? According to a report in Politico, "Josh Mandel kept afloat by outside cash." That is a very frightening thought. Those outside of Ohio, special interest groups, right wing PACs, powerful anti-worker groups, obsessive anti-women's rights groups, etc., are supporting Josh Mandel. Do these outside groups see Josh Mandel as malleable, just as they view Romney?

Josh Mandel looks more and more like an over ambitious candidate with no legislative experience or ideas of his own to present to the public. Mandel's campaign consists of lying about Sen. Sherrod Brown. Sen. Brown is a real champion for Ohio's workers and stood up with them against Kasich and SB5. Sherrod Brown has worked hard to protect the rights of women, our environment, and has worked tirelessly to assist our veterans and military families. Josh Mandel---not so much. Josh Mandel is working for corporations and himself. Why else would he spend so much time out of his elected office visiting and pandering to the businesses of the people that contributed to keep SB 5?

••• Republican Vice Presidential prospect, Marco Rubio, is a little to far to the right for many Hispanics and Latinos. Here is what USA Today has about Rubio's political moves:

...On some key policies, Rubio is at odds with most Latinos. He speaks
favorably of a tough Arizona immigration law. He defends a Florida purge
of voter rolls that has disproportionately affected Hispanics.....

Rubio has presented an ever changing series of stories about his family's own immigration, his religious preferences, and his votes against pay equity.

>>> Ohioans are getting very angry about the backroom agreements that Gov. John Kasich has devised concerning fracking. A demonstration against fracking was able to draw thousands of participants. (See 10TV.)

Speaking of fracking----- It appears that the state of Ohio, under the leadership of John Kasich, might begin selling water from state lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and streams to the companies doing the fracking. There are opponents to this stupid idea, but of course the Republicans cannot hear them. The loss of water for drinking and public recreation could cause real problems to citizens. See the Dispatch for more.

Friday, June 15, 2012

*** The President gave a brief statement today at the White House about immigration. The content of his speech was concerning providing opportunities to young people who've arrived in this country illegally, but have demonstrated scholarship and good citizenship. Unfortunately, a right wing report rudely interrupted the President as he was speaking. MSNBC has identified the reporter as Neil Munro, at the Daily Caller, an organization owned and founded by Tucker Carlson. You might want to email Tucker Carlson at info@dailycaller.com and let him know how rude and disrespectful his reporter was to the President.

••••• Voters in Ohio are starting to wonder if Republican Josh Mandel is hiding something. His refusal to make public 34 resumes of his personal hires for the Ohio Treasurer's office has many people growing suspicious and outraged. There have been 9 public information requests that have gone unanswered by the Josh Mandel campaign. 9! Intoxination has a post that raises the question and provides some insight. Mandel is a public servant, an elected official, but his arrogance, lies, and disregard for his duties has made him an unattractive candidate.

>>>> Ohio's unemployment rate has gone down, according to the Cleveland Leader. Of course with so many jobs and industries tied to the American auto companies in Ohio, it is because of President Obama's bold move to save the entire American car industry. Gov. Kasich should write President Obama a thank you note for saving so many jobs! Even though Kasich, Josh Mandel, Mitt Romney, and many Republicans were against the auto reorganization plan created by President Obama, they continue to avoid showing their appreciation.

How can we forget---
--- those words from Mitt Romney, "Let Detroit go bankrupt."
--- the lack of support for the auto bailout from John Kasich.
--- the lack of support for the auto restructuring from Josh Mandel.

If you missed the research done by the American Bridge Pac on Mitt Romney's previous tax returns, here are two items to review:

...Romney’s 2010 Tax Returns Showed He Contributed $35,000 To
Anti-Gay Groups “Massachusetts Family Institute” And The“Beckett Fund.” According
to Human Rights Campaign, “The tax returns for Mitt Romney’s charitable
foundation reveal that the GOP presidential hopeful has given at least
$35,000 in recent years to groups actively working to halt the spread of
LGBT equality and, in some cases, intentionally demonize LGBT people.
[According] to CNN, Romney donated to the extremist group Massachusetts
Family Institute, as well as the Becket Fund. The Massachusetts Family
Institute received $10,000 from Romney in 2006, while the Beckett Fund
received $25,000 in 2009. The donations came from the Tyler Charitable
Foundation, set up and funded by the Romneys. The Massachusetts Family
Institute has long been a vocal opponent of marriage equality, and
believes sexual orientation is a choice that can be cured.....

...Romney Paid $20,603 Total In Wages To Four Household Workers In 2010. According
to the Huffington Post, “IRS forms released Tuesday by Mitt Romney’s
presidential campaign show that despite reporting income of $21.7
million, the couple paid only $20,603 in taxable wages for household
help in 2010. This figure was divided among four women: Rosania Costa
($4,808), Kelli Harrison ($8,667), Susan Moore ($2,238) and Valerie
Cravens Anae ($4,890).” [Huffington Post, 01/24/12]...

There are plenty of more eyebrow raising bits of information at AmericanBridgePAC that you should read.

Romney's support of anti-gay hate groups is very disturbing. His abuse of power by paying housekeepers so poorly is shameful. I'd be interested in knowing how many hours per year these women worked to earn such low wages. Do you think anyone would ever get an answer to that inquiry?

You'd think that Republican Josh Mandel, Ohio's absent Treasurer, would have learned by now that people do not like liars. Josh Mandel's campaign has been the source of so many lies that many voters are just disgusted.

If you look at statements from Mandel and Sen. Sherrod Brown, you'd see that one candidate has a higher percentage of lies (Hint: Josh Mandel).

Michigan state rep Rep. Lisa Brown intervened in a debate about a
pending abortion bill in which she used the word "vagina," for which she
was censured, and prohibited from participating in some future,
unrelated debates. She was not the only woman legislator prohibited from
speaking during the debate. Rep. Barb Byrum was barred from introducing
her amendment requiring men to prove that their lives were at risk
before they were allowed to have a vasectomy.

Brown, a Democrat, argued that her Jewish faith allowed for therapeutic
abortions

when the mother's life is in danger without regard to length
of pregnancy.

"I have not asked you to adopt and adhere to my religious beliefs. Why
are you asking me to adopt yours?" she said. But what came next is what
got her in trouble: "And finally, Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're
all so interested my vagina, but 'no' means 'no.'"

The Republicans in Michigan are afraid to say "vagina", but they are willing to legislate about it. Soon we'll hear reports that Michigan Republicans have placed tape over the mouths of women.

I hope that people, especially women, wake up and vote for Democrats!!!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Reports are coming in about the attendance at the two rallies here in Ohio today.

PlainDealer notes that there were "...about 1500 people..." at the rally for President Obama. The very enthusiastic crowd looked like regular, ordinary Americans of every age and ethnic background.

On the other hand, the Romney rally speech had an all white crowd of "...about 100 people...." in Cincinnati (according to KnoxvilleNewsSentinel). The Romney crowd looked about as enthusiastic as people waiting for a dental appointment.

President Obama will be in northeastern Ohio today!!!! Awesome. President Obama will speak at 1:45 pm at Cuyahoga Community College.

>>> Updates: The President is speaking now.

President Obama said that the Republican tax cuts to the rich, allowed "...the top 1% to see their incomes increase by 275%...." OMG!!!

The President said that in order for Romney and the Republicans to fund their $5 trillion in tax cuts for the rich----

.....the cuts to programs would be deeper than anything that has been done before this.....

.....not one singe independent economic expert has said that Romney's plan would reduce the deficit....

The President said he ....has a different vision---

.....have a strong growing middle class....

.....I see an America with the best educated in the world...

....best high tech...., ......balance deficit reduction

....ask the wealthiest to pay their fair share.....

He has ......cut taxes for small businesses 18 times....
He said he believes what Abraham Lincoln said:

.....through government we can do together what we cannot do by ourselves....

......now is not the time to scrimp on education......

....recruit more teachers.......train them to teach math and science.....

.....end subsidies to oil companies....

......the only thing that can break the stalemate (in Washington, DC) is you....

√ If you have insurance with Aetna, you might be interested in this from CREW:

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
sent a letter to Mark T. Bertolini, chairman, CEO, and president of the
insurance giant Aetna, asking his company to stop using corporate funds
to influence elections. This request follows an SNL Financial story
revealing that Aetna has contributed more than $3.3 million to the
American Action Network (AAN) and nearly $4.5 million to the Chamber of
Commerce.

AAN is a shadowy 501(c)(4) organization that broke both tax and
campaign finance laws in its quest to influence the 2010 elections, and
the Chamber is one of the biggest political players. While corporations
traditionally pay dues to the Chamber, in 2010 Aetna reported dues of
just $100,000 – almost $4.4 million less than Aetna contributed to the
Chamber in 2011. These payments indicate Aetna surreptitiously has
spent well over $7 million to influence Americans at the polls.

“Aetna wants to get rid of its political opponents without being held
accountable by its shareholders or customers for funding vicious attack
ads,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan. “If Aetna intends to
use corporate funds to sway the elections in 2012, Mr. Bertolini should
come clean and stop hiding behind AAN’s skirt.”

Join me for my special concert in Miami on June 26 supporting President Barack Obama. To buy tickets go to http://bit.ly/KCoR3S

>> Did you know that President Barack Obama has created more jobs in his few years in office than former President George W. Bush created in 8 years?

>>>> Mitt Romney will be in Cincinnati, visiting a business owner that has contributed $7500 to one of George W. Bush's favorite Congressmen, Steve Chabot (see Open Secrets). I wonder if Romney will arrive with one of his dressage horses on the top of his car, as Stephen Colbert suggested last night. (See Opposing Views for pic.)

***

>>>> There is a new ad in Ohio featuring washed up, right winger, Pat Boone. I don't take any advice from him, let alone an endorsement. With news that Pat Boone is teaming up with Karl Rove to run ads against Ohio's Sherrod Brown, I'm confused about why they'd do such a thing. Josh Mandel has no experience, has never written legislation, is against teachers, firefighters, police officers, pay equity for women, Social Security, Medicare, public schools, health care for the poor, lower interest rates for college loans, reproductive freedom for women, equal rights for gays, etc. Why would anyone support right winger, Josh Mandel?

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

• Don't you wish that a certain Ohio office holder had to actually use a time clock to record his time spent in his office? If Republican Josh Mandel, Ohio Treasurer, had to clock in and out, taxpayers would be shocked at the time he spends out of his office.

Here is an example of another Washington, DC trip for candidate Josh Mandel, with 3 planned fundraisers. Politicalpartytime:

Josh Mandel's lack of legislative experience, and his pandering to right wing special interest groups, really leaves voters wondering how much Mandel can really think for himself. His own ignorance about the amount of money in the state's retirement funds shows that his inattention and absences have taken a real toll on Mandel's ability to do his job as Ohio Treasurer. Ohio voters can see that Josh Mandel has demonstrated total disregard for his elected office.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

* The group, Veterans and Military Families for Sherrod Brown, is promoting their support of Sen. Sherrod Brown because of his strong support for Vets and their families in this YouTube video:

When retired four-star General Johnnie E. Wilson declared his support for Sen. Sherrod Brown, he said the following (LINK):

I served in the military for nearly 40 years. I began as a
private, developed into a noncommissioned officer, earned a commission
and went on to reach the rank of four-star general. Having served at
every level of command—having led and been led—I have come to recognize
and value leadership as a fundamental element of one’s character. It is
for this simple, but profound, reason I proudly endorse Sherrod Brown
for reelection to the U.S. Senate.
Simply put, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is a leader. Whether fighting to
put Ohio’s Veterans back to work, giving our returning heroes the
educational opportunities they deserve, or securing necessary funding
for equipment and medical care for our troops, he is taking action and
taking the lead. We want a leader who is there every day and Sherrod
Brown is there for Ohio’s Veterans and military families. There is no
stronger advocate for our community.
It is important to me that the interests of Ohio’s Veterans and military
families are looked out for. Sherrod Brown is a true leader who cares
about Veterans. It is because we can count on him being in our corner
that I will be supporting Senator Brown for reelection this fall.

Yes, sir!

>>>> Just in case you've missed it, there is a lot of drilling going on in Ohio. In maps provided at the Akron Beacon Journal, the locations of the various types of wells are provided (LINK).

•••• It is pretty amazing that Republican Josh Mandel has plenty of time to visit so many fundraisers for himself in the state, around the country, and even the Bahamas, but he doesn't have time to provide the missing resumes from his hires in his department. The Ohio Democratic Party has filed their 9th records request for Mandel's records. He has refused their requests for 14 months!

• President Obama had a special guest in the White House---- Betty White. Every single time I see Betty White, I think of my own parents. Here is a picture from the White House photographer, Pete Souza:

Sunday, June 10, 2012

>>> Gov. John Kasich's approval rating is still in the toilet, and Plunderbund has posted TPM's chart of Kasich's standing in Ohio. It boils down to this, according to TPM:

Kasich's disapproval is 55.6% ...... Kasich approval is 39.4%

Gov. Kasich's cuts to education are starting to show. Many districts have laid off teachers throughout Ohio and the rest of the country. USA Today:

President Obama urged Congress on Saturday to renew federal money for
local governments so that they can avoid layoffs of teachers.....

"In Pennsylvania alone, there are 9,000 fewer educators in our schools
today than just a year ago," Obama said. "In Ohio, the number is close
to 7,000."

Of course, Mitt Romney doesn't see a problem with large class sizes. Voters can see that President Obama is trying to get teachers back in the classroom, but Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Eric Cantor will work to block any chance of that happening. While the Republicans sabotage the economy, they laugh, and joke, but in the end their disdain for the average American is showing.

••••• Ohio State's Board of Trustees is moving toward privatizing the parking at the university. Despite opposition from faculty, and students, it appears that the decision has been made for a 50 year agreement with an Australian company, QIC. Here is a YOUTUBE video that explains the opposition to President Gee and the Board's plans:

Of course, no one can overlook the huge disaster Chicago has had with their privatization of their parking. Time Magazine (5/11/12):

...So how did Chicago get itself into this situation? In 2008, Chicago’s
then-mayor Richard M. Daley pushed through a $1 billion deal to lease
Chicago’s parking meters to a private company for 75 years. A group of
investors, led by Morgan Stanley, took over Chicago parking, ripping out
old meters and replacing them with high-tech pay boxes. As Chicagoans
adjusted themselves to the new technology, they also had to adjust
themselves to new, much higher parking rates. Street parking in
Chicago’s Loop now costs $5.75 an hour. Next year it will be $6.50.

As you might imagine, Daley’s little parting gift to Chicago has not been terribly popular amongst the city’s residents.

The Expired Meter, a blog devoted to chronicling what it sees as the
failings of the parking deal, greeted the news with these three words: “Told ya so.”

It makes you wonder what parking fees and fines will be like in the future at Ohio State, especially since Morgan Stanley is also involved in the the deal here.

>>>>> It appears that Republican Josh Mandel's Democratic backers are really only
4 Democrats, according to information given by his campaign to the Dispatch:

.....Asked by The Dispatch for evidence of the backing Mandel
says he is receiving from Democratic voters and groups, the Mandel
campaign offered only the names of four registered Democrats willing to
comment. But one of them actually is an independent who says she has
supported candidates from both parties.

The issue of Democratic support has come to the fore because Mandel
unfailingly brags about it in speeches and interviews. A May 10
Quinnipiac University poll showing Brown with a 6-point lead in the race
found that only 5 percent of Democrats surveyed said they plan to vote
for Mandel, compared with 10 percent of Republicans who indicated
support for Brown.....

Josh Mandel's campaign has produced a continuing list of lies in their ads, speeches, and claims of bipartisan support. This just proves that Josh Mandel has nothing but the same old worn out right wing rhetoric we've heard thousands of times. He has no new ideas. It might be a better idea for Josh Mandel to work at keeping his present job.

Why would anyone support a candidate that has lied continually, is against equal pay for women, is against a woman's reproductive freedom, is against public schools, and was against President Obama's auto bailout that saved hundreds of thousands of American jobs?

Don't you wish that Republicans and their supporters would just leave women alone? Now, FreedomWorks, a groups that supports conservative Republicans, like Josh Mandel, has cranked up their efforts to completely wipe out Planned Parenthood. An ad from Freedom Works goes after Planned Parenthood and President Obama (see link).

I wish that Republicans, Freedom Works, and the rest of their ilk, would just leave women alone to make their own decisions. The right wing's obsession with women's reproductive parts is getting to the point of being frightening, and perverted. Women don't go around discussing male sexual organs, and I'd appreciate it if Republican males would stop worrying about a woman's ovaries, tubes, uterus, and menstrual cycles.

The demand in Virginia by Republicans and Gov. McConnell to make any woman requesting an abortion to undergo a forced vaginal probe is disgusting. It most cases, forcing a woman to have a foreign object inserted into her reproductive organs would be rape. Why isn't the vaginal probe considered rape?

By the way, if you look at the at the anti-Planned Parenthood petition at Freedom Works, it appears that a majority of the petition signers are men. Don't you think that is a little weird and perverted?